Music Room Confessions
by cr8vgrl
Summary: What happened after Ryan asked Kelsi to the prom? A quick oneshot about the very cute couple and their reasons behind going to the prom together.


**A/N: I'm not really a fan of High School Musical anymore, but I did want to write this story because I think that Kelsi and Ryan are the cutest couple in the musical, and there are not many pieces about them.**

**I do not own any of the characters. I'm just borrowing them for a moment.**

Kelsi sighed happily as she stepped into the music room at East High. No matter what her troubles, she always felt better when she came to this room. This was one room that Sharpay did _not_ own. Very rarely did the drama queen like to squeeze in between all the instruments to get to Kelsi, only to snap her fingers and cry, 'Transpose!' Kelsi smiled. If anything, this room belonged to her.

She made a pot of tea after having set her bags down, and relished in the soothing ritual tea making required. She poured the hot water over the tea leaves and breathed in, smelling not only damp warmth from the steam, but also the smell of Ginger Peach leaves. Waiting the appropriate time, Kelsi took the tea sock out and dumped the leaves down the sink, grabbed a cup from the kitchen, and took both pot and cup over to the piano. She set the pot on the ever-present coaster on top of the piano and sat down on the piano bench.

She pulled out her folder full of sheet music- sheet music that she was writing-and smiled. This folder held more for her than anyone could possibly imagine. This folder held her thoughts from the past, her emotions of the present, and her dreams for the future. When Miss Darbus had suggested putting in for a Julliard scholarship, Kelsi had heartily disagreed. "No one would care about my music," she had protested, but Miss Darbus had been adamant. Kelsi should have a chance.

Now, a couple of months later, she had come to terms with herself that her pieces were unique. Julliard liked her style. She laughed aloud at that thought and turned back to her sheet music. This was the perfect song for Gabriella and Troy, but she must first get it right! She played a little section, stopping every once in a while to write in a new note, or to make a certain note a flat instead of a sharp.

After a while, she stood, stretching, to pour herself a cup of tea. The warm liquid made her feel better, and her mind seemed to clear. A pattern began to form in her head and she hastily sat down and played it before it could escape. Her smile stretched from ear to ear as she played. When the pattern stopped, she quickly grabbed her pencil and began filling in notes.

So enthralled in her writings was she that she never heard the door to the music room open. She played a bridge and then continued writing. It was only when Ryan stepped up to the piano that Kelsi realized that she was not alone in the room. She turned around and smiled at him.

"Good morning," he said cheerily.

Kelsi smiled. "Morning," she said, trying not to stare at him. In her opinion, he always had the coolest outfits, and the best hats to go with them. With a weakness for hats herself, Kelsi admired his style. She admired him. _Where did that come from?_ She tried to ignore her thoughts, but it was a harder and harder battle. She was falling in love with Ryan Evans, and it bothered her because he could never love her.

She desperately tried to bring her focus back to the young man in front of her, who had noticed her struggle, but had not commented on it. Instead, he had hidden his smile and had poured himself a cup of her famous tea. Sitting down next to Kelsi, Ryan felt her stiffen, and then relax. He placed his cup on the piano lid and looked at the sheet music she had been working on. He stretched his fingers out over the ivory keys and began to play, getting a secret thrill over playing Kelsi's music.

Soon, they were both singing, and smiling at each other, and the way she looked at him erased any doubts in his mind about the question that had brought him to her today. He stopped playing and shook his head, not in protest but in amazement. "It's beautiful," he said simply.

Kelsi blushed. "Thanks," she replied, rather shyly.

"No, I mean really," he continued, "this, the prom number, everything." He looked right at her so that she could see that he wasn't just paying her empty compliments; he was telling the truth. "It's going to be a great show." Kelsi looked pleased, and Ryan took that as a good sign. He looked back at the sheet music before him, almost as though it would give him the right words to address her with. "Speaking of prom," he began, "what are you doing?"

She turned in surprise, yet answered so quickly that Ryan was sure that she had already thought her next answer through. "Well, that's two days before the show. You know, I'm writing orchestrations and fixing charts, I still have to write lyrics…"

Before she could come up with another reason why her busy schedule would whisk her away from prom, Ryan cut in. "Great," he said. "I'll pick you up at eight." His fingers flew over the keys as he played. "_You're on my mind, you're in my heart…_"

"_It doesn't matter where we are_," they sang together.

"_We'll be alright_," Ryan sang, wishing to assure her that going to prom with him would be one thing that she would not regret.

"_Even if we're miles apart_," they finished.

Kelsi sat back, her eyes shining and her cheeks slightly flushed with pleasure. Ryan watched her with a slight smile on his face, but when she turned to him suddenly, her question caught him completely off guard. "Does your invitation have anything to do with Sharpay wanting to get this song from me?" she asked.

She was actually relieved to see Ryan react the way he did. His face showed surprise, but he didn't try and bluff his way out of her question. "No," he responded. "I'm sure someone probably overheard that conversation, and that's why you're asking me now, but no, that's not my reason." He shook his head and one hand went to push his hat back slightly off his forehead. "I'm tired of being Sharpay's errand boy," he confessed. "Yes, she told me to ask you to prom to get the piece, but she wasn't serious." Ryan actually laughed. "Someday, I'll have to thank her. She gave me the right idea for the wrong reason."

Kelsi frowned. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"I've been wanting to ask you out for a very long time," Ryan admitted. "It's just never been the right time. You either had something you needed to do, or someone came up and interrupted me." He shook his head. "But that's not really the point I'm trying to make by all this," he said. "What I'm asking is that you go to the prom with me, for me. I don't want your music, because personally, I think it should go to Troy and Gabriella. As cheesy as it sounds, I just want you."

Kelsi's eyes lit up. "I was hoping you'd ask me," she admitted. Ryan leaned forward and kissed her very gently, and they both smiled into the kiss.

When he pulled back, Ryan asked, "So I'll take that as a yes?"

Kelsi smiled brightly. "Definitely."

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They were still clapping. Kelsi was overwhelmed by the audience's response to her musical as she and Ryan, choreographer and pianist, held hands and bowed to the thundering applause. This was better than she could have ever imagined. Once they had bowed again, Ryan slipped his arm around her waist and led her backstage. Finding it too crowded, they just started walking down the empty halls of East High, since the audience had not left the auditorium yet.

They found themselves back in the music room where they had shared their first kiss. There had been plenty more of those lately! Kelsi ran a loving hand over the piano. "I can't believe we get to go to Julliard together," she said, unable to hide the awe in her voice.

Ryan wrapped his arms around her small frame. "Believe it," he said happily. They were silent for a moment, and then he said, "I wish we didn't have to leave on Saturday."

"Why?" Kelsi asked, tilting her head up to look at him.

Ryan smiled sheepishly. "Well, I still haven't gone on a first date."

Kelsi cocked her head to the side. "Prom doesn't count?" she asked.

Ryan pretended to look shocked. "Of course it doesn't!" he exclaimed. "Even though I took you to prom, I still had to share you with other guys. _That _is not my idea of a date."

Kelsi heard someone calling their names. "Come on," she said, giving Ryan's sleeve a tug. "They're looking for us." She made her way to the door and glanced back over her shoulder. "I'm free Friday," she offered.

Ryan smiled, his whole face seeming to light up. He ran forward and hugged her tightly. "Is that a yes?" Kelsi teased, looking up into his face and grinning.

Ryan leaned down and kissed her. "Definitely."


End file.
